anything is appreciated. see you back here at tonight, bracing for the worst. the trump administration warning this could be the, quote, hardest and saddest week of the coronavirus outbreak. three american cities facing the possible apex of cases within days. hospitals in new york, michigan and louisiana already at or near capacity. new york's governor calling the virus an effective killer. but the death rate here dropping for the first time. detroit mourning the death of an e.r. nurse on the front lines, dying home alone because of the virus. the governor of hard-hit louisiana sounding the alarm. they may run out of ventilators by thursday. and a moment of hope. a mother of five released from the hospital into her husband's arms after a 15-day battle. what the president just said at the white house tonight. the new hot zones emerging

across ameca pennsylvania, colorado a fm is is nohe groryto, to the ph tonight, british prime minister boris johnson hospitalized because of his symptoms. the word on his condition coming shortly after queen elizabeth delivered a rare address to the commonwealth. dangerous choices. the social distance battle at the start of holy week. some churches defying stay at home orders, filling pews for palm sunday services. the wharf in d.c. overcrowded with people, shut down by authorities. news tonight about the navy captain relieved of duty. the warning about the coronavirus as it was spreading through his aircraft carrier. the captain now reportedly testing positive for the virus. millions out of work. americans waiting for direct deposit checks from the government, due in about two weeks. small business owners struggling to file emergency loan

applications, hoping to hold on long enough to reopen. >>i'arng. the pular website w bein used by millions to work and so concerns abo the country's largest school district now telling teachers to stop using it. and beating the virus. the 6-year-old boy with cystic fibrosis who faced down covid-19 and won. tonight, his inspiring story. and good evening. thanks for joining us on this sunday. i'm tom llamas. and we begin tonight with america bracing for what could be the worst of the corona outbreak in the days ahead. the trump administration warning it could be, quote, the hardest and saddest week yet. as we come on the air tonight, a major spike in u.s. cases. now more than 331,000, roughly 30,000 more than this time last night. and the country now with more than 9,400 deaths. new york governor andrew cuomo

reporting more than 4,000 deaths in his state and saying the state could be very near the apex. all hospitals in new york city, if they are not already, will be at or near capacity this week. detroit reporting its deadliest day so far, including the city's first death of a postal carrier. the nation's top infectious disease expert, dr. anthony fauci, urging everyone to buckle down. the virus is not under control. abc's trevor ault leads us off. >> reporter: tonight, with the nation already reeling from covid-19's catastrophic death toll, the surgeon general warning americans to brace for what could be the hardest and saddest week of their lives. >> the next week is going to be our pearl harbor moment. it's going to be our 9/11 moment. it's going to be the hardest moment for many americans in their entire lives. >> reporter: officials say three hot zones across the country, new york, detroit and louisiana are likely a week from hitting the apex. leaders there pleading for help, saying their health care systems are on the brink of disaster.

>> the system is over capacity, all across the board. it's just over capacity. you are asking a system to do ever done before, more than designed to do, with less. >> reporter: with every new york city hospital expected to be at or near total capacity this week, governor andrew cuomo says front line workers are being asked to do the impossible. video from "the new york times" showing brooklyn hospital center's icu pushed to the limit. hospital staff telling "the times" other departments are jumping in to help and the staff there is not immune. the hospital estimating a third of its doctors and nurses out sick, one landing in the icu themselves. with more than 1,700 new yorkers dead in three days, the governor saying the state is still in grave need of crucial equipment, despitou soriw, military personnel are on their jay way to javits center to help treat covid-19 pies.rget

hospitals in the entire country. michigan's governor, gretchen whitmer, says the virus is spreading exponentially in her state, especially around detroit. >> we've got hospitals that are already at capacity. we don't have enough personal protection equipment. >> reporter: at least three detroit-area nurses on the front lines have died from the virus, including lisa ewal, who had been isolating by herself, dying at home just days before her 54th birthday. >> she gave no care or concern for herself, but only care and concern for others. >> reporter: louisiana has the highest death rate per capita in the country. governor john bel edwards says his state is on track to run out of ventilators on thursday if this pace continues. new orleans' convention center now set to open as a temporary hospital. officials urging all arica virus peaks in their area. the next two weeks, critical for places like pennsylvania, colorado and washington, d.c.

>> this is the moment to not be going to the grocery store, not going to the pharmacy, but doing everything you can to keep your family and your friends safe. >> reporter: with the second-highest number of cases in the country, new jersey now ordering 20 temporary morgues to prepare for the virus's toll. models show the state about a week behind new york. washington state today announcing they're sending back 400 ventilators to 2 dwindling national stockpile. governoring seeing the pain in the current hot zones fear when their time comes, equipment and personnel will be in short supply. the president continuing to go after governors who criticize the administration's response. >> if they had started in february building ventilators, getting ready for this pand have today and frankly, very many fewer people would die. >> reporter: illinois's governor says he asked for 4,000 ventilators to save his state in a worst case scenario, but he says the vice president told him illinois only needs 1,400. >> i hear him, he's always

complaining and yet i just said, give me a list of the couple of the things we've done in illinois.o be able to do as a governor. he has not performed well. >> reporter: more than 9,400 people have died in this country from coronavirus, with more than 330,000 confirmed cases. but in even hardest-hit new york, 75% of those hospitalized have been discharged and are on the mend. like christina pass, who survived her 15-day battle with covid-19. the mother of five wheeled out of a new york city hospital through a sea of applauding workers, reuniting at last with her husband. >> such a powerful and reassuring moment right there. trevor ault joining us now. and trevor, with new york city seeing so many cases, they were anticipated to run out of ventilators as early as tonight, but mayor de blasio says they haven't run out yet? >> reporter: that's right, tom. the mayor says that new york city has 135 ventilators left in its stockpile, so, they have a few extra days, but a dire

shortage could still be coming. they are expected to run out tuesday or wednesday and the mayor continues to plead with the federal government to get more ventilators sent to new york city. tom? >> trevor ault leading us off tonight. trevor, thank you. now, to those breaking developments overseas. after revealing he tested positive for coronavirus, british prime minister boris johnson is now in the hospital. the news coming shortly after a rare address from the queen. abc's maggie rulli is in london. >> reporter: tonight, boris johnson hospitalized on doctor's orders, ten days after testing positive for coronavirus. the british prime minister had been working from home. >> i still have a temperature and so in accordance of government advice, i must continue my self-isolation until that symptom itself goes. >> reporter: but johnson's high fever has not gone away and today, he was admitted to the hospital. the news coming just hours after a rare televised address from the queen. >> i hope in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to

this challenge. >> reporter: the 93-year-old monarch rallying her country, as the crisis hits close to home. her son, prince charles, testing positive. >> we should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. we will be with our friends again. we will be with our families again. we will meet again. >> reporter: cases here are spiking. the death toll at nearly 5,000. the numbers are also surging in france, where the military airlifted covid-19 patients out of the hard-hit regions to hospitals in other parts of the country. and in italy, where the death toll stands at more than 15,000, the pope celebrating a very quiet palm sunday. praying inside an empty st. peter's basilica. >> all right, maggie rulli joins us now from london, and maggie, i want to go back to boris johnson. his office says the prime minister was admitted as a precautionary step?

>> reporter: yeah, exactly, tom. his team was careful to say thiu have now lymptom even though he's in the hospital, boris johnson is still in charge of this country. tom? >> maggie rulli with that breaking news about boris johnson tonight. maggie, thank you. now, to the growing concerns about possibly spreading the virus at the start of holy week. some churches openly defying stay at home orders, holding palm sunday services. and some governors now threatening fines for anyone breaking the rules. here's abc's senior national correspondent matt gutman. >> reporter: tonight, with louisiana surging as a hot spot, police patrolling the streets of new orleans. >> and stay home except for essential needs. help us flatten the curve and save lives. >> reporter: but near baton rouge, one church has been defiant. this morning, governor john bel edwards with a plea. >> i'm calling upon those parishioners to not go, because it is grossly irresponsible. there is not a setting more

conducive to the spread of the virus. >> reporter: but tonight, the church's pastor disregarding the governor, welcoming 1,200 people into multiple buildings on the church campus. >> governor, edwards, your jurisdiction ends at the threshold on my church door. we are doing the responsible thing in giving this community hope. >> reporter: still, on this palm sunday, most of the nation's churches observing the social distancing guidelines. at st. michael the archangel church in virginia, parishioners lining up to receive palm fronds in the trunks of their cars. >> we don't want to be guilty of calling people together and spreading this. >> reporter: most states have stay at home orders in place, but the republican governors of nine states are still resisting. and even in places with orders, some people are breaking the rules. in san francisco, folks played basketball and thronged public parks, as officers on four-wheelers tried to enforce the guidelines. in washington, d.c., hundreds packed in at the city's popular seafood wharf on saturday.

do. >> all right, matt gutman joins us now from los angeles. and matt, on that last point there in your report, some states now imposing stiff fines for people who violate social distancing guidelines? >> reporter: that's right. in michigan, tom, you could get slapped with a $1,000 fine for violating any order relating to the coronavirus. in boston, they're instituting a curfew, from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. and in nearby riverside county, if you are caught outside not wearing one of these, you could get slapped with a misdemeanor charge. tom? >> measures getting more and more extreme. all right, matt, thank you for that. next tonight, news about the former commander of the "uss theodore roosevelt." the navy captain reportedly testing positive days after being relieved of duty over his letter about an outbreak onboard his ship. we're now learning of the captain's final message to family and friends, written just hours before his dismissal. here's abc's rachel scott. >> reporter: tonight, "the new york times" reports that navy

captain, relieved of duty, cheered by his crew as he left the ship for the last time, has tested positive for the coronavirus. just days ago, captain brett crozier was pleading to get his sailors off the coronavirus-stricken carrier, writing in a letter, "we are not at war. sailors do not need to die." when the message leaked to the press, he was fired. >> i thought it was terrible what he did, to write a letter? i mean, this isn't a class on literature. this is a captain of a massive ship that's nuclear powered, and he shouldn't be talking that way in a letter. >> reporter: the navy secretary said crozier exercised "poor judgement" by not following the proper chain of command. today, defense secretary mark esper standing by that decision. >> look, the secretary made a tough decision, a tough call. i have full faith and confidence in him and the navy leadership and i support their decision. >> reporter: but the dismissal is prompting criticism from some retired top military brass. >> this commanding officer made

the absolute right decision. he sailed true north, told his chain of command that he had to have help. >> reporter: hours before his more than 30-year navy career came to an end, crozier sent a final message to the 5,000 sailors onboard the "uss theodore roosevelt." in the note, obtained by "the san francisco chronicle," he writes, "the sailors onboard are my top priority, and i promise to do everything i can do to take care of them." and tom, of the 5,000 sailors onboard that ship, the navy tells us that half have now been tested. so far, 155 have been diagnosed with covid-19. tom? >> okay, rachel, thank you. now to the millions of americans, including small n ed l lili ecks eecd to show up in dire depositt merad busine ownee payroll protection plan, calling the application process a, quote, hot mess. here's abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: with the economy on life sup

stimulus money starts flowing to americans and businesses is complicated. >> i'm pleased to report that within two weeks, the first payments will be direct deposit into taxpayers' accounts. >> reporter: but it's not that simple. 80 million eligible americans who haven't signed up for irs direct deposit still have to wait for a check in the mail. that could take several months. >> supposedly they're sending us $1,200 from the federal government, which will not pay my rent. >> reporter: for some small businesses -- >> basically, what we have is a hot mess. >> reporter: -- signing up for the government's payroll protection program, to keep them afloat, has been equally frustrating. >> applying for those programs has been kind of like boarding an airplane that's still being built, but it's taking off. >> reporter: getting the economy flying again may depend on testing as many people as possible so they can be cleared to go back to work. but states like california are still dealing with a testing backlog, 13,000 people still waiting on results. >> i think you see the return to

normalcy when we have an approved rapid testing program that can be brought to scale. >> reporter: now, tom, as for setting up direct deposit, an irs website is likely still weeks away, but now turbo tax is online with a new site, they say if you sign up there, you should be getting your stimulus money much faster. tom? >> clayton sandell with some good tips tonight from denver tonight. clayton, thank you. and there's much more ahead on "world news tonight" this sunday. dr. jen ashton here to answer your coronavirus questions. experts warning of a dire week ahead. what people should expect and word tonight of a new symptom. could pink eye be another oo thv conferencing site, as millions work from home. the new warning fr the fbi. plus, the young fighter living with cystic fibrosis, beating the coronavirus. his inspiring message tonight. stay with us. i've always been fascinated by what's next. and still going for my best, even though i live with a higher risk of stroke due to afib not caused by a heart valve problem.

so if there's a better treatment than warfarin... i want that too. eliquis. eliquis is proven to reduce stroke risk better than warfarin. plus has significantly less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis is fda-approved and has both. what's next? reeling in a nice one. don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines.l eliquis may increase your es bleeding risk eliquis, the number one cardiologist-prescribed blood thinner. ask your doctor if eliquis is what's next for you.

non-drowsy claritin cool mint chewables. feel the clarity of new the only allergy product with relief of your worst symptoms, including itchy throat. plus an immediate blast of cooling sensation. feel the clarity and live claritin clear. i need all the breaks, that i can get. at liberty butchumal- cut. liberty biberty- cut. we'll dub it. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ welcome back. the nation's top health experts are predicting a dire week

ahead. some cities including new york city may hit their apex. let's get right to abc chief medical editor dr. jen ashton. and jen, the apex is coming. what are the experts and governors seeing in the data and how should we prepare? >> reporter: well, it is so difficult to predict these curves and these peaks, tom, and they're only as good as the day data that goes into them, and obviously case count has been elusive and challenging thus far. we do know that deaths tend to lag behind confirmed cases by two to three weeks, and other curves are predicting a peak in mid-may. either way, as dr. anthony fauci keeps reminding us, now is not the time to take our foot off the gas when it comes to social distancing measures. >> such important guidance we cannot forget, especially this week. jen, also, a new symptom popping up that viewers should be aware of? >> reporter: yeah, there was a study out in "jama" last week, tom, small study coming out of china, which found that about 31% of confirmed covid infections presented with pink

eye or other eye findings. and it seemed to predict more severe disease in those who had eye symptoms, so, once again, we're learning more about coronavirus and it does seem to suggest that this can, in fact, be transmitted via the eye. >> all right, dr. jen, thank you for that. when we come back, the storm system slamming the west, bringing snow and possible flash flooding. and remembering an nfl legend. a kicker who has died from coronavirus complications. stay with us. rous peo.. and survivors. it was interesting to think about their lives... their successes... and...their hardships. i think that's part of what i want my kids to know. they come from people who... were brave. and took risks. big risks. no pressure. [short laugh] bring your family history to life, like never before. get started for free at ancestry.com

saturpain happens. aleve it. aleve is proven stronger and longer on pain than tylenol. when pain happens, aleve it. all day strong. and sometimes, you can find yourself heading in a new direction. but when you're with fidelity, a partner who makes sure every step is clear, there's nothing to stop you from moving forward. - [female vo] restaurants are facing a crisis. and delivery orders to make it through. grubhub. together we can help save the restaurants we love.

so bob, what do you take for back pain? before i take anything, i apply topical pain relievers first. salonpas lidocaine patch blocks pain receptors for effective, non-addictive relief. salonpas lidocaine. patch, roll-on or cream. hisamitsu. for farmers here, this is our life's work. but when a recall happens, perfectly good food goes to waste. now, we've got away around that. looks good. we're on target. blockchain on the ibm cloud helps pinpoint a problem anywhere from farm to shelf. it's used by some of the biggest retailers everywhere. a nice wedge. so more food ends up on your table, is that daddy's lettuce? yeah. and less food goes to waste. ♪ ♪

time now for our index and the dangerous weather hitting the west. a storm system bringing mountain snow, heavy rain and gusty winds to northern california. flash fl now to the privacy concerns for a popular video conferencing platform. the fbi issuing a warning for zoom, after reports of uninvited guests gaining access to meetings, in some cases sharing graphic images and hateful language. new york city, the nation's largest school district, now banning teachers from using the site for virtual learning. the company's ceo saying they are now focusing solely on security issues. and a passing to note. former nfl kicker tom dempsey has died from coronavirus complications. born without toes on his right kicking foot, he was famously known for a 63-yard field goal in 1970, holding the record for the longest nfl kick for decades. dempsey, who suffered from dementia, contracted covid-19 while living at a senior living home in new orleans. he was 73.

and when we come back, call him the warrior. the 6-year-old with the life-threatening medical condition beating the coronavirus. the show of support from his community and his sweet message in return. stay with us. oh, that's a good one. wait, what's that? that's just the low-battery warning. oh, alright. now it's all, "check out my rv," and, "let's go four-wheeling." maybe there's a little part of me that wanted to be seen. well, progressive helps people save when they bundle their home with their outdoor vehicles. so they've got other things to do now, bigfoot. wait, what'd you just call me? bigfoot? ♪ my name is daryl. could another come aroundot, the corner. or could it play out differently?

i wanted to help protect myself. my doctor recommended eliquis. eliquis is proven to treat and help prevent another dvt or pe blood clot. almost 98% of patients on eliquis didn't experience another. and eliquis has significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. eliquis is fda-approved and has both. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling numbness or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily. and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planed medical or dental procedures. what's around the corner could be your moment. ask your doctor about eliquis.

tthe bad news? our so will this recital.day. depend® fit-flex underwear offers your best comfort and protection guaranteed. because, perfect or not, life's better when you're in it. be there with depend®. saturpain happens. aleve it.

aleve is proven stronger and longer on pain than tylenol. when pain happens, aleve it. all day strong. finally tonight, america strong. tonight, the story of this little boy, who faced down the coronavirus and won. >> i'm a cystic fibrosis warrior and i beat covid-19. >> reporter: 6-year-old joseph bostain from clarksville, tennessee, born with cystic fibrosis, a serious inherited lung condition. now, also a recovered copa th's

this little guy testedosiv for covid-19 in mid-march after developing a fever and cough. >> i wish that the virus that's going around could go away and i hope that everybody who has it feels better. >> reporter: his community rallying around him, sending cards and presents. joseph's school even organizing this drive-by get well parade. >> wave, wave! is that asher? jo-jo, wave! >> reporter: joseph and his mom sabrina feeling the love from inside. >> i think that was gabriel's mom. >> they're all here for you, bud! >> reporter: and there was also this. a get well message from hockey player kyle turris of the nashville predators. >> i heard that you had the coronavirus and beat it. that's awesome, man. >> reporter: this brave little guy inspiring us all. >> i'm a cystic fibrosis warrior and i beat covid-19. >> all right. so happy for joseph and his family.

thank you so much for watching. please stay safe. good night. i just want my mom to be safe. >> on abc7 news at 6:00, the daughter of a bay area man who died from coronavirus days after a cruise fights to get her sick mother off that very same ship. tonight late developments on that effort. and breaking news. we just learned muni service coming to a halt. details on the massive service cut. and word of the very first coronavirus case of its kind involving a abc7 starts right now. >> levee breaking news. >> that breaking news, a major service alert tonight from muni. >> nearly every line is shutting down due to a huge drop in passengers. abc7 news reporter luz pena joining us live from the uust lw informationvice >> dion

be hf their operators will not show up to work this week. right now there are 68 active lines, and starting tuesday that number will be cut down to 17 lines. this could be affecting from the sunset to the marina district. they're currently working to identify the high ridership lines. according to the director jeffrey tumlin, tomorrow's service will be, quote, messy. >> i never thought i would be saying this. if you have another means of getting to your essential job, please don't take muni. muni in this emergency period is only for essential workers and for people making essential trips like getting to the grocery store or the pharmacy. if you don't need to take muni, pleaseav